Buzz
Decades before the internet allowed people to look up confusing slang on Urban Dictionary, they could spend a quarter on a booklet that claimed to teach the trendy lingo of the youth. The Hepcats Jive Talk Dictionary, released in 1945 during the peak of the swing and jive eras, explained slang primarily developed within and by Black communities for aspiring cool individuals. Below are some stylish terms and expressions from the dictionary, some of which remain in use today, while others have become outdated. (Note: If you explore the dictionary, be mindful that it includes terms now regarded as offensive.)
1. Advance the spark: to get ready.
2. Apron: the person behind the bar.
3. Airbags: the organs used for breathing.
4. Backcap: a reply or response.
5. Barkers: footwear.
6. Bucket from Nantucket: a person who consumes excessive amounts of alcohol.
7. Butter: insincere talk; nonsense.
8. Buzzsaw: someone who enjoys spreading rumors.
9. Canary: a woman who sings.
10. Clambake: a lively gathering featuring jive music.
11. Dead pigeon: an uninteresting individual.
12. Dreambox: the human head. (Sheets, on the other hand, were referred to as dreamers.)
13. Exodust: to escape, leave quickly, or retreat.
14. Flip the grip: to exchange a handshake.
15. Fried: extremely intoxicated.
16. Got your boots on: “fully understanding the jive.”
17. Hep to: “knowledgeable.” Other related terms include hepcat (“someone who understands everything”) and hep gee (“someone in the know”).
18. Hunk of lead: a sweet, ring-shaped pastry.
19. Hotsy totsy: “everything is in order.”
20. Idea pot: “the human head.”
21. In and outer: an entrance or exit.
22. Legit: “genuine or authentic.”
23. Lothario from Ontario: a smooth talker or someone skilled at winning others over.
24. Murder: “to achieve excellence.”
25. Plungeroo: someone who is excessively fond of playing pinball (a game that was prohibited in certain areas when the Hepcats Jive Talk Dictionary was released).
26. Scratch: cash or currency.
27. Side arms: cream and sugar, a term derived from “G.I. Jive” or military jargon.
28. Storked: anticipating a “blessed event”; expecting a child.
29. Swellelegant: fantastic, extraordinary.
30. Wigglers: the digits on your hand. (Alternatively, they could be referred to as forks.)
31. Yak: a boisterous chuckle.
32. Zowie: “an expression of admiration or approval.”
